2. Close Encounters … …of a spiritual kind

3. Religious Dimensions Mystery –Explain earthly mysteries: Bermuda Triangle Dogon of West Africa The Bible Atlantis/Lemuria –Give us new mysteries: Flight patterns Crop circles How and why are they here?

4. Transcendence UFOs transcend our perceptions and experiences Free of laws of physics, time-space Evoke awe, humility, faith

5. Supernatural Beings Extraterrestrials have abilities, and powers, that transcend nature Contactees/abductees sometimes develop similar powers Six Extraterrestrial “types”: HumanHumanoidAnimal RobotExoticApparition

6. The Greys Four feet tall, hairless, sexless, big eyes Zeta Reticululs Barney Barnett, Betty & Barney Hill Linked to technolgy, alien abduction, medical experimentation, hybridization, government conspiracy

7. The Blues Similar in appearance to Greys, but with blue tint to skin Arrived shortly after Greys, 1947 Warned US government of evil intentions of Greys, were rejected Went to Arizona, allied with Hopi Indians Robert Morningsky & Sky Warriors - “The Terra Papers”

8. Pleiadians Highly spiritually evolved, benevolent, fourth dimensional beings Physical appearance either none (only speak through channels), or “nordic” – blond, beautiful Barbara Marciniak, Billy Meier Earth reaching point of spiritual transformation – Pleiadians will help

9. The Pleiadians Extraterrestrial entities channeled by Barbara Marciniak Similar message of personal responsibility, we are god, etc. Added element = extraterrestrial origins of humans – created by aliens to fulfill spiritual destiny. We have forgotten our destiny, however, and been led astray by poorly evolved aliens who fear our potential. Bad aliens are in league with American government – a theme we will see more of in next section of our course. Pleiadians are here to guide us back to spiritual path

10. Other Alien species Lyrians – channeled by Lyssa Royale Sirians – water-based, spiritual, concerned with humans, dolphins, whales Orion Empire – Council of Light, Evil Orions Reptoids/Reptilians – reptilian, possible masters of “Greys”, ancestors of humans, intent on conquest & stopping human spiritual evolution

11. Perfection UFO shape symbolic of perfection Extraterrestrial societies vastly superior: free from poverty, violence, prejudice, etc. Technology vastly superior: UFOs, etc. Pursuit of perfection = religious goal

12. Salvation Mission of Extraterrestrials often understood as one of salvation – from nuclear, environmental disaster, or from spiritual lapse Salvation needs supernatural (alien) aid Salvation comes from outside, not inside

13. Cosmologies Who are we, why are we here? Traditional religious answers now found inadequate by some Traditional Scientific answers also found inadequate Extraterrestrials add new dimension to quest – combines “science” i.e. alien DNA, etc. with religion Places human evolution in cosmic framework Transformation Like mystical experiences, close encounters (esp. of 3- 5 th kinds) transform effected individual Person must reevaluate whole worldview, belief systems, religious faith, personal history Become set apart, ostracized due to new faith – often “witness” to new truth

14. Mystical Experiences Six basic elements of close encounter of 3 rd or 4 th kind: –Solitary –Isolated location –Wise superior beings take initiative in contact –Light is dominant symbol –Sexual element –Absence of natural sounds

15. Mystical Experiences Reason one: von Daniken’s thesis – when mystics thought they were talking to supernatural beings, they were really talking to aliens Reason two: Extraterrestrials are wise spiritual beings, like gods, so human spiritual response to them is similar Reason three: human mind capable of producing certain mental stimuli, variously interpreted as contact with gods, or aliens

16. Abduction experiences John E. Mack Harvard psychologist, Cambridge psychiatrist Pulitzer Prize winner Reluctant believer in alien abductions Claims alien abductions have religious implications

17. Religious transformation of consciousness 8 ways abduction experiences trigger spiritual transformation: 1. Pushing Through – overcoming victim emphasis 2. Aliens as Intermediaries – coming to see aliens as halfway between human mortality & divine consciousness 3. Homecoming – sense of joy at relatedness to extraterrestrials – genetic link

18. Religious transformation of consciousness Past Life Experiences – under hypnotic regression, abduction experiences traced back to infancy, plus memories of earlier lives 5. Altered view of human identity – humanness centered in consciousness, not biology Transpersonal experiences – identification with other species – aliens, animals (dolphins, whales)

19. Religious transformation of consciousness –Double Alien/Human Identity – sense of double identity: fully human, but also alien – self as other, abduction a positive experience despite temporary fear 8.Collapse of Space/Time Dichotomies – past, present, future collapse; near/far dichotomies collapse – monistic sense of time/space emerges

20. Abductee video…

21. Responses to religious dimensions of UFO phenomeon Many UFO enthusiasts simply reject religious dimensions in favour of pure science/technology emphasis Others explore spiritual dimensions, and become convinced that extraterrestrials have spiritual agenda In latter case, religious texts become source texts for showing ongoing interest of extraterrestrials in our spiritual evolution For small minority, spiritual dimensions of UFO experiences become central focus of organized religious convictions – UFO groups, next week!